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Don't be chilly - warm up with a chili
Forget the sad stew known as Chilli con Carne sold in second rate pubs, full of thick-skinned kidney beans and plopped onto a bed of white rice. Real chili (and no, it isn't a misprint - chili the dish is spelled with one 'l', while chilli the pepper is spelled with two), is a thick, luscious mixture that has as rich a history as any British or French dish and has been the cause of many passionate arguments, if not outright punch-ups!
Chili comes from Texas and has its origins in the days of the great cattle drives across the wide open spaces of the Wild West. Legend has it that Pat Garrett said of his fellow outlaw Billy the Kid, 'any man who likes chili can't be all bad.'
There are as many different chilies as there are cooks who make it and every other version is looked upon with disdain, especially if it contains what some cooks (usually Texans) consider to be forbidden ingredients.
To bean or not to bean
It is generally accepted that chili should contain meat, oil, hot chilli peppers, onion, garlic, salt, cumin, oregano and sometimes tomatoes (though the original Texas trail chili most probably didn't use tomatoes.) But what causes the most controversy is the presence (or not) of beans. Arguments for and against have lead to more than a few bar room brawls, a riot in an Oklahoma prison, a duel in Louisiana and even a divorce between a couple from Little Rock, Arkansas in 1979. The wife claimed that she and her husband were incompatible because he used beans in his chili.
Pinto beans are the beans of choice, also called red Mexican beans and available dried. Black beans are also good for chili. Kidney beans are commonly used in many chili recipes but are a bit on the large side, have tough skins and contribute little to the overall flavour. Whatever beans you choose to use, soak them overnight, drain then cook them in water for about an hour or until softened. Never add salt to the water before they are done as it toughens the skins and prevents proper cooking.
Other variations and additions are more regional. In Texas, the meat (usually beef) is cut into cubes, whereas in the states of Oklahoma and New Mexico minced beef is always used. In some northern states like Massachusetts, the beef is shredded and Californians sometimes use sweet Italian sausage in their chili.
The addition of vegetables and spices is another sticking point. Of those cooks who do use tomatoes, some use only fresh while others use canned or pureed. Sweet green peppers crop up in some versions, also celery, olives, black pepper, paprika, parsley, Dijon mustard, even red wine or beer. But there is one ingredient on which all chili cooks agree - the chillies. Jalapenos are the most popular and are available in the UK, fresh in the green grocer aisles or pickled in jars in the Mexican section of supermarkets. Some other types are also becoming more widely available - serrano, poblano, catarina and ancho are some of the varieties used, usually in dried form. Some cooks dispense with whole chillies altogether and just use ground chilli powder.
There is one place where all these chilies and their respective cooks come together once a year - the tiny one-horse Texas town of Terlingua, home of the World Championship Chili Competition. Started in 1968, this venerated traditional gathering draws hundreds of would-be chili experts, as well as chili fans and tourists from all over the world. The event involves camping out (there are only two small motels in town) and make-shift kitchens, with gas-fired camping stoves where chefs create their chili masterpieces. The brews are tasted by a panel of judges and an ultimate winner declared. Beer and tequila are consumed by the gallon (drinking wine will get you thrown out, or at least guarantee some dirty looks), before everyone packs up and heads home, leaving Terlingua to recover and prepare for next year's onslaught.
So whatever your tastes, there's a chili out there for you. As yet, there's no law governing what should go into a good chili (except maybe in some towns in Texas), so get creative and come up with your own champion chili. Who knows, you may end up in Terlingua!
Chili is not a shy dish, nor is it instantaneous. A good chili needs time to brew and mature and is often better the next day. There's also no point in making a small amount; it will keep in the fridge for several days and freezes equally well. All recipes serve at least six hearty appetites.
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